ORONO, Maine -- The University of Maine athletics department was saddened to learn of the passing of Hall of Fame linebacker, John Huard ('67).

"We are saddened to hear about the passing of John Huard," says head football coach Jordan Stevens. "John lived an amazing life. He raised an amazing family and gave his all to the game of football. We are grateful for the positive impact John made to the University of Maine and our football program. We will forever honor the legacy of John Huard."

Huard, a two-time first team All-America (1965, 1966) honoree, was the first football student-athlete to be inducted into the UMaine Sports Hall of Fame, bestowed into the National Football Foundation's College Football Hall of Fame, and the first member of the Alfond Stadium 'Ring of Honor'.

"To me, John Huard is the most powerful figure in Maine Football history," says former head football coach and quarterback, Jack Cosgrove ('78). "As a player and coach, he impacted outcomes of a tremendous number of Black Bears. He led the 1965 Tangerine Bowl as a player and coached myself and my teammates to the 1974 Yankee Conference championship. He served as a great mentor during my career as a coach at Maine and later became the first Black Bear to be enshrined in the Ring of Honor and to be inducted into the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame. His success as a business man and his company, Field Turf, added more to a lifetime of accomplishments. God bless John Huard."

Huard earned Little All-American status and was also named to the All-New England, All-ECAC, and All-Yankee Conference teams during both his junior and senior seasons. He set UMaine marks for most tackles in a season, most tackles in a single game, and the longest interception return (95 yards) at the time of his graduation.

"John was a tremendous leader," says Huard's teammate, Don White ('67). "We had great confidence in him and would literally do whatever he told us to do. As he went on to his career in the NFL, he never forgot where he came from. His college teammates and friends remained his closest and best friends throughout his life. John was a one of a kind. We would never have become the team that we were without him. His loss has hit us hard."

Huard, who registered 22 tackles in his first game in 1964, played a key role in leading Maine to the 1965 Tangerine Bowl. Named one of the top 20 athletes in the history of the state of Maine by Sports Illustrated, Huard was selected by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round of the 1967 NFL Draft. In addition to playing four seasons with the Broncos, Huard also served professional stints with the New Orleans Saints and the Montreal Alouettes.

"Nobody worked harder to succeed in whatever he did in life than John, whether it be school, football, business, coaching, or family," says former teammate Walter Nelson ('67). "Everything he did and achieved in life he did so with great humility."

He returned to the University of Maine as an offensive line coach in 1974. Huard went on to serve as head coach of Acadia University in Nova Scotia (1979-83), leading the Axemen to the Canadian National Championships in 1979 and 1981, before a role as special teams coach of the Chicago Blitz (1983-84). Huard also made coaching stops at Maine Maritime Academy and with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.